Korin waddled over to Gohan, looking more distraught than the last time they'd spoken.
"You okay kid? You flew outta there pretty fast. Scrape your knees or anything?" He asked, extending a hand to help him up.
Gohan accepted the offer and was pulled to his feet. "I-I'm fine Korin. Thank you."
"I'm surprised you're back so early. That's good. Although, things have gotten worse since you two left."
"How so?" Gohan asked sadly.
Korin shifted by Gohan's side to view the pot. "Let's wait until Goku gets here, better to explain things one time than two."
Gohan nodded and stood quietly next to him. While they waited, he took a few quick glances at the old cat. Korin was clearly nervous, twiddling his whiskers intensely and wagging his tail impatiently. Luckily it wasn't long before his father popped out of the pot and landed in front of them.
Korin waddled up to him and offered the same hand as he did Gohan.
"C'mon Goku, I'll help you up. I've got news for you two so let's head back upstairs."
"Is it Piccolo?" He asked as the old cat pulled him up.
"Yes, but it's not just him. Gero is on the move as well."
Gohan's ears perked. "What's he doing?"
Korin began climbing up the steps, using his staff for extra support. "I'm not sure. I only found out about him ehrm...fifteen minutes ago? Thanks to one of my pots, of course. It looks like he's out somewhere with a couple of his minions." He grunted, placing his staff firmly onto the cobblestone floor to help him up from the last step. "They have their power levels subdued but they're sloppy, if you try hard enough to sense for them, you'll find that they're north of here, out in the pine forests."
Gohan began searching for energies north of their position, he noticed five signatures, all felt slimy and just as disfigured as any other android he'd dealt with up to that point. He couldn't feel Gero though, but that was to be expected, after all, he was fully machine.
Silently, he thought over this new information. He knew it wasn't an opportunity he could afford to pass up, especially because there were so few androids left to guard Gero. He also, in the back of his mind, was considering this to be the moment to finally leave his father.
He knew it would be painful for him right now, but he'd be saving him the heartache of saying goodbye like he had tried to, two years ago. Plus, once he left, Gohan could take solace in knowing his father would never even remember any of these events and thus, never remember any of the pain.
"Wait, who's Gero? Do I know him?" Goku asked confusedly.
"Well, the original Doctor Gero was a scientist who worked for the Red Ribbon Army, but after you two took it down, he went rogue. He was a brilliant bioengineer who specialized in creating the androids for the Red Ribbon Army, similar to your good friend Eighter, just far more evil. But the Gero that we're talking about now is a machine, built by the original Gero in case of his untimely demise. He's who Jack has been protecting you from for the past three years."
Without a word to either of them, Gohan began walking towards the north edge of the tower.
Korin turned away from Goku. "Wait! That's not everything!" Korin exclaimed, stopping Gohan in his tracks.
"I found out what King Piccolo wished for when he summoned Shenron! He wished for his youth to be returned to him, and when the wish was fulfilled, he took it upon himself to destroy the dragon balls, and the only way to do that was to destroy the very being who granted him the wish."
"What?!" Goku and Gohan both said, nearly simultaneously.
"Yes...I'm afraid it's true." Korin said painfully, his coarse voice becoming harsh like sandpaper. "Right after he finished his wish I could sense his ki spike and the mystical energy from Shenron violently disappear."
Goku kneeled down next to Korin and frowned. "Is there any way we can get them back?"
Korin shrugged. "I'm working on it, but there are more important things to deal with right now."
"Like what?"
"Well, Piccolo hasn't been standing around waiting for you to get back before beginning his conquest of the Earth. Shortly after you two went in to get the ultra divine water, he stormed Central City along with two of his kids: Piano and Drum."
"How many people have they hurt?" Goku asked.
"Not many, Tien is holding them off for right now, but he's not going to last much longer."
"Then we've got to go! He needs our help!" Goku looked over at Gohan. "Jack, you can fly us there, let's-"
"No Goku, this one's all you." Korin said. "Jack needs to handle Gero while you take down Piccolo."
"But Korin, I don't know how to get there and that monster Tambourine destroyed my nimbus. I need his help."
"Come over here." Korin tapped Goku's back and led him to the edge of the tower. "You may not even know it yet but that Ultra Divine Water has already made you much stronger than before. In fact, I'd say you finally have enough power, and control over that power, to sense for energies."
"Sense for them? Like you and Jack did earlier?"
"That's right. All you have to do is close your eyes and focus." Korin watched Goku close his eyes before moving on to the next step. "Good, now, try to isolate and focus on your own power. Can you feel it?"
Goku scrunched his eyebrows, concentrating as hard as he could. "I can." He held his palms out in front of him. "I-I'm so much stronger than earlier."
"You're beginning to feel the effects of the water." He stepped closer to Goku and pressed a finger against his chest. "Something important you should know is that everyone has their own unique ki, Goku, and with enough practice, you can differentiate between each and every living creature on the planet. But, for right now at least, I want you to picture one thing."
"What's that?" Goku asked.
"Piccolo's face. Focus on it. Imagine his wrinkled evil green grin and horrible cackle. Picture him in your mind and feel the air with your energy." He let Goku concentrate for a moment. "Can you feel that awful power Goku? The ki that reaks of death and rage?"
Goku shifted, turning slightly east. "I-I think so." He opened his eyes and pointed in front of him. "It's coming from that way."
"That's right Goku!" Korin exclaimed excitedly.
Although silent, Gohan frowned when he sensed his father reach out for energies for the first time. With how quickly he always made progress, it wouldn't be long until he had mastered the technique and is able to sense people hundreds of miles away, meaning, he could get wrapped up in a fight against one of Gero's androids.
Not to mention, now that he has the ability to sense energy, he'll be able to read emotions. An hour ago, that wouldn't have been a problem, but now, knowing he's so close to catching Gero, Gohan wanted the last few minutes they had left together to at least be decent. He didn't want him to feel how much pain he carried.
"Wow, is this sensing?" Goku asked.
"Yes, and it's very impressive that you were able to figure it out so quickly."
"I don't know..." Goku's voice trailed off. "I think I've been able to do this for years...but...it's never been this clear before."
Korin was surprised. "Really?"
"Yeah, but before, when I tried doing it, everything felt so blurry. I think I could feel the energies around me but not how big they were or who they belonged to."
"I suppose I shouldn't be surprised, you are very special Goku. There aren't many fighters quite like you."
Goku smiled, "I'm not so sure about that. Jack's special too, I think even more than me."
"Well, I'm not sure there are many fighters like him either." Korin quipped.
"So, Master Korin, if Jack can't fly me there, how am I gonna get to Central City?" He asked, looking toward Piccolo's location.
"Don't you remember what happened after the first time you lost your flying nimbus, Goku? Up in the mountains, what did you do to get it back?"
"Hm, I called out for it."
He nudged his student further to the edge of the tower. "Exactly, and have you tried that yet?"
"I don't think so..."
"Then go ahead." Korin prompted.
"Flying Nimbus!" He screamed at the top of his lungs.
With its usual purr, the flying nimbus appeared from further above them and swooped through the air, its long golden tail trailing behind it. The cloud stopped abruptly, right in front of its master, looking as poofy and energetic as ever.
"The flying nimbus cannot be destroyed Goku, at least not completely. If at any point in the future this happens again, keep in mind that if you call it, it'll always come back to you."
Goku stepped out onto the cloud, facing Piccolo's direction, and although he was eager to get moving, something was bothering him. He felt some obscured guilty sorrow creep its way into his chest and urge him away from the nimbus.
Korin raised his brow once Goku stepped back onto the tower. "Goku, what are you doing?"
"Hold on, Korin." He replied, moving around trying to pinpoint where this was coming from.
He sensed the feeling become less noticeable, like it was being hidden away deliberately. That's when he figured out exactly where that pull was coming from. He looked at Gohan leaning with his arm against a pillar at the other end of the tower. He began approaching him and the feeling grew stronger again.
"Go ahead, Goku." Gohan said, facing away, looking at the clouds before him. "I'll get Gero while you get Piccolo."
"Jack is that your energy?... It feels...awful."
Goku watched Gohan lift his arm and wipe his eyes, he assumed they were tears he was clearing.
"I'm fine Goku, just go. You've gotta hurry." he said.
Goku didn't like it, but he was right, there wasn't time for this. "Don't worry about me Jack, I'll win my fight, just make sure you win yours." He placed a hand on his shoulder. "I'll see you soon, okay?"
Gohan nodded. "I'll see you later, Goku."
After Goku had left, Korin walked up next to Gohan and looked out into the sky as well. "I take it that something happened while you two were searching for the water?" He huffed. "Seems like today just keeps getting worse."
Gohan pushed off the pillar and stood firmly with his fists clenched. "I've got to go Korin."
"Yeah? Well after your finished pounding Gero into the ground, come back with Goku. If he wins his fight with Piccolo, I have no doubt Kami will contact me, and, assuming he hasn't grown cold in his years up on the lookout, he'll probably be willing to restore the dragon balls."
"That's good." He responded distractedly.
Korin pursed his lips and nodded to himself; Goku's assessment was accurate, his ki really did feel awful, but not for a reason Korin couldn't determine. He had, at least, some understanding of what Gohan planned to do, although, he would have to be fast. Defeating Gero and meeting with Kami to restore the dragon balls all before Goku finished his fight with Piccolo is an incredibly hefty task.
He sighed.
He cared for the boy, almost too much to let him do this to himself, but the benefits of stability in the future and safety in the past were far too great. Yes, he needed to remember the Earth as a whole is what mattered most. He couldn't interfere with any of Gohan's plans.
Gohan leaped from the tower and headed north. Beneath him, the hilly forests and blue rivers turned to muddy puddles and yellow grasslands as he traveled closer to the energies of Gero's minions.
While flying, he couldn't help but feel surprised that his heart wasn't beating any faster. He figured after all the time he'd spent fighting Gero's proxies, getting to see him in person would invigorate him, give him the motivation to fight harder, but it hadn't, at least not yet.
Gohan quickly passed through the yellow plains of wild wheat and grass. They faded away in a blur and he was suddenly surrounded by a sea of coniferous trees, and towered over by dozens of brown earthy mountains topped with grey stone peaks.
He wasn't far from Gero now, and he'd be damned if he was going to let this opportunity slip through his fingers once again. He quickly dropped into the forest.
Once he touched the ground, he scanned for them again, picking them up about three miles ahead of him. None seemed to be concerned.
With caution, he traversed the forest floor of dead pine needles, moss, and spotted mushrooms until he came upon a flattened path. When he looked at it, the path seemed defined by two-hooved tracks, most likely from deer or elk. He decided that, due to the lack of loud and crunchy pine needles, it was worth using to get closer to Gero.
Slowly, the distance between him and the androids shrunk, until they were just up ahead, past some dense shrubbery. He lowered himself to the ground and crawled silently into the bushes. He looked out into a clearing and could see Gero from the back. He was kneeling over with a small wooden pickaxe in his hand, tapping away at a few stones at the side of a slope, his androids were scattered about, all standing in the exact same pose: legs spread apart slightly with arms crossed to intimidate. Too bad their power levels were far too small to be a threat.
"Yes!" Gero happily exclaimed. "Finally!" He turned around and presented a black speckled rock between his thumb and pointer finger to his goons. "The last one-hundred and fifty-four grams of ociterite on the entire planet!"
Gohan shifted, moving his head closer to the ground. He squinted to get a better look at the stone.
Ociterite? I don't remember reading about that mineral...
He stuffed the stone into his pocket hastily. "Now," He rubbed his hands together enthusiastically. "Back to the lab, we have so much to process."
Before Gero could even lift off the ground, Gohan made his move. He shot out from the shrubs faster than any of the minions could react to and threw a ball of energy towards Gero's legs, vaporizing them from the knee down. The doctor, in utter shock and confusion, slammed onto the ground, dispersing the pebbles and debris that were previously beneath his feet.
Gero's eyes were filled with terror and he cried, "Gohan?!"
He stood in the middle of the five androids, glowing with golden energy, waiting for any of them to try their luck.
One of the androids smiled as he relaxed from Gohan's surprising arrival. "It's about time you showed up."
"W-what?!" Gero said in utter surprise. "What do you mean it's about time?!" He swiveled his head, fiercely staring at each of the five androids. "You fools weren't hiding your power levels?!"
"Must have slipped." Replied another with a sly grin. The four others joined in with a few quiet laughs.
Gero swung his arm around at them."Stupid, half-breed, Saiyan ingrates! You wanted this!"
A particularly tall android stepped towards Gohan and out from the other four. "C'mon he's just a little kid, how tough can he really be?"
Another stepped forward, getting slightly closer as well. "Yeah, and I've been itchin' for a fight since we left the lab!"
"I should have known you'd try this! You Saiyans are all the same! Fighting even when you're certain to lose!" Gero began to pull his body away from Gohan's feet, dripping black coolant from his knee-stubs.
"If you know what's good for you, you'll all give up, right now!" Gohan demanded. "I don't want to destroy any more of you!"
The five androids looked towards one another. Gohan followed each turning head with his eyes, suspicious of their intent, but confident in his ability. He stood with his hands at his sides which, under normal circumstances, he'd never do, but he'd seen the extent of their kin's power, and he knew they stood no chance.
Together, they all charged him, attempting to get in their best shots early on. Gohan jumped and pushed off the arms of the androids, kicking one with so much strength, he was sent flying, his body snapping trees like twigs as he collided with them.
While in the air, he countered another androids attack, and instead of simply knocking him back to the ground, Gohan used his foes fist to pull him closer and snap his elbow with ease. After that, he simply shot a ki blast through his chest and let him fall into the forest below.
The three remaining androids saw how easily their comrade was dispatched and decided against fighting alone. They tried another charge and quickly found out that no matter how hard they tried, they couldn't lay a finger on him. It wasn't long before the terror of being outmatched began to set in, but at that point, it was far too late to run, the best they could do was last as long as possible.
When the corpses plopped against the mossy floor, Gohan attempted to push them out of his mind, hoping to ignore the queasy disgust he felt for killing them. He landed back where Gero had first fallen to the floor, there was a small puddle of coolant that had formed there, and smeared lines of coolant stretched out of the clearing and back into the forest. This was good, it was exactly what he wanted; no external threats to worry about, and a defenseless Gero.
He wasn't planning on killing him though. Despite, all the pain he'd caused him and how much he hated the old man, Gohan wanted to try and appeal to him one last time. After what he learned about Gebo back at Gero's old lab, he figured it was worth at least one more try. Maybe Gohan could relate to him in some way, at least in how much they both had lost.
"Gero!" He shouted, his hands cupped around his mouth. "Come out! I don't want to hurt you!"
His request garnered no response, so he continued following the tracks. They went on for around 300 feet, before disappearing near a small cove of clouded water. Now, he didn't need to be a scientist to know that water and oil didn't mix like this, it was just some kind of decoy meant to distract him from where Gero was really hiding.
With a quiet drip, felt something land onto the shoulder of his gi.
Pulling the fabric away from him, he could see a splotch of dark oil. He looked closely at the large spruce tree to his right and could see more oil dripping from it. Raising himself into the air, Gohan approached the branches and pulled them apart.
Suddenly, Gero sprung from the tree and latched onto him, his hands squeezing his throat with as much force as he could muster. He began draining as much energy from Gohan as he could, a wild and horrible grin stretching across his wrinkled face.
He laughed maniacally. "You seriously thought I was defenseless?! Hiding in a tree, cowering in fear?!" He attempted to tighten his grip, putting so much force into his metal joints, he could hear the motors stalling. "Now I finally have you. After all these years it wasn't even an android who managed to kill you. It was me!"
He'd been waiting for this moment for so long; waiting for his moment of triumph. One where he finally crushed the last person in his way, where he finally could say he'd won, but deep down, even after he had reset himself, some part of him knew this was wrong, some part of him, untainted by the rest of his rotting soul, wanted to let the child he held in his deathly grip go.
Gohan, despite mass amounts of energy being sapped from his body, placed his hands around Gero's wrists and forcibly pulled them from his throat. He threw the old man a few feet in front of him.
"Stop it!" He yelled, his ki flaring up in anger. "I don't want to kill you."
Gero used his arms to prop what was left of his body up, he looked towards his missing legs and growled. "Mark my words boy, you will pay for this."
Gohan began to lose himself as the emotion took over. It had been over seven years since he'd really seen Gero's face, and it brought countless painful memories along with it.
"How?!" He shouted, hushing Gero. "There's no one left to fight, Gero! All of your androids are gone. It's just you and me."
"No..." He said, his eyes full of fire. "I've spent years researching and developing the best technology known to man. To lose to you...it-it's not possible! I will make you pay, you and your father!"
"You won't hurt anyone ever again Gero...and I'll make sure of that if I need to."
"Then do it already!" He jerked his head forward. "Kill me!"
"I don't want to" He knelt down and softened his voice. "I want to help you."
"Help me?" He scoffed, resting his head back against the fallen pine needles. "How can you help me?"
"I know how much you're hurt, Gero. I know that all your anger and hate for my dad and me comes from awful things that have happened to you."
"Quiet!" Gero spat venomously.
"Do you remember what you said? When we fought just a few miles from muscle tower? You said you lost everything you valued in one single day. When my dad destroyed the Red Ribbon Army, you lost more than just your status, your lab, your research, and your androids didn't you?"
Unnoticeably, Gero's eye twitched, looking behind Gohan for only a split second. He was relieved the boy's attention was still entirely on him so he used that to buy just a little more time. "I don't know what you're talking about, and clearly, neither do you. Those were the only things lost to me that day."
"I know what I'm saying, Gero, because...we've both lost things. And I know, somewhere inside you-"
Before he said anything more, he caught wind of a power level behind him. Gero planted his head firmly into the dirt after Gohan turned around.
He was surprised, it was the android he'd flung into the trees earlier. He looked slightly damaged but still in fighting condition, Gohan expected him to make one last attempt to charge him, but instead, the android threw his hands up to his temples.
"SOLAR FLARE!"
Instantly, everything went white. Gohan stumbled around before dropping to the floor and trying desperately to clear his eyes which were already beginning to drip with water. In his impaired and slightly panicked state, he couldn't sense the android, but he could still hear where he was coming from. He heard a small crunch near Gero and swung out with his leg, unsurprisingly, it hit nothing.
He stretched his arms out, up above where he thought Gero was. He couldn't lose him now, not after getting so close to him. The rustling of the wind was the next sound he heard, it sounded like it came consistently from every direction, hopefully, that meant the android was at least a few feet away from him.
Slowly, his eyes began to clear, and his vision returned to him, although extremely unfocused. Below him, Gero was gone, taken by the android. He tried scanning again for it, but it was gone. He rubbed his eyes harshly in an attempt to see any better, but instead, he only managed to flush his cheeks.
Taking to the sky, he looked in his immediate vicinity, but it was pointless, he couldn't see anything farther than five feet from him without it turning into a blurred mess of blue.
What are you supposed to do now?
You had him...right there. You could have stopped him right there.
He lowered his head into his hand, wiping away, not moisture from his eyes, but tears.
Why are you so stupid?
You had him and you let him slip away!
Dropping out of Super Saiyan, he wanted to get a handle on this, he needed to focus right now.
"Think...think..."
You're so stupid! Thinking you could help him! When are you going to learn you can't help anyone, remember?! Especially not someone as horrible as him!
"I know..." he said to himself.
Now you've got nowhere else to go.
Go back to daddy.
"I-I can't. I can't hurt him again."
What else are you supposed to do, huh? Where else are you supposed to go?
"I-I don't know."
Besides, it doesn't even matter, you'll find some way to hurt him again. You always find a way to hurt everyone.
"I don't want to..."
It's not about what you want! You are always going to hurt people, always! It doesn't matter how hard you try, or how careful you are, you'll always make everything around you so much worse so go, go ahead and search for him.
You know you want to.
Gohan felt out for his father's ki, it was weakened, but he no longer sensed Piccolo. He had won, just like he always did.
Good...now go.
He began heading in his direction and the green pines followed behind him for miles. But eventually, the mountains of the coniferous forests bid their stoic goodbyes to him and, when he flew out into open pastures of green grass, they spoke no more.
He could see the smoke on the horizon, the later time of day made it more difficult to spot, but there was definitely rising smoke coming from Central City.
As he neared, he could see a portion of the metropolis had been utterly annihilated, with only a deep brown crater remaining where towering buildings once stood. He could sense Tien and Goku on the crater's edge, he decided it would be best to land near the city if only to keep Tien from seeing him fly.
He dropped onto the sidewalk of a department store building, inside, he could see half a dozen or so people huddled behind the counters with only the top of their heads peeking out. He hurried along and ran a few blocks down to where the sidewalk abruptly ended and the crater began.
Goku was sitting next to Tien, his legs hanging into the crater, when he saw Gohan running up to him.
"Jack!" he said, struggling to his feet as fast as he could.
The first and most obvious thing Gohan noticed was the severe limp in his step. There was a deep gash in his knee that oozed both blood and puss when he put pressure on it, but that didn't seem to stop him. He looked as happy as ever when he stood next to Gohan.
"You won your fight!" He leaned into him, using him as support while he placed his arms around him. "That's such a relief."
Tien turned his neck, looking at the difference between the two boys' conditions, it was funny that Goku was the more concerned of the two.
"I guess it wasn't a very tough one then." He laughed, although it caused him some discomfort. "Looks like whoever you fought hardly touched you."
Gohan cautiously hugged his father back, being sure to avoid touching the many dark blue bruises that peaked out from his torn gi.
"I'm sorry I wasn't here faster Goku. Maybe I could have helped a little."
"It's all right, Tien and I were able to take on Piccolo just f-agh!"
More blood began running down his leg and, sluggishly, he dragged his arms off of Gohan, bringing them down to his knee. Gohan, without a second thought, supported him and kept his legs from giving out. Slowly, he eased him back onto the floor, giving him plenty of time to lay his leg flat out in front of him.
Goku held his hands around the wound. "Maybe we should go to Korin now Jack, he might have a senzu bean or two left."
Senzu beans! Of course, how could he forget the one Korin had given him just before they entered the pot.
"Here Goku." Gohan reached into his sash and pulled out the small senzu bean. "I almost forgot about this one."
He dropped the bean into his father's hand expecting him to down it immediately, and yet, he kept it there in his palm.
Maneuvering his thumb to the top of the bean he split it in half. "Hey, Tien, can you stand?"
Tien laughed. "Probably not Goku, I can hardly move my fingers. Why?"
Goku shifted over to Tien and lowered his hand so that he could see the bean. "This is a senzu bean, it's magical and can heal you. I've never split one in half before but I'm pretty sure it should still work. I want you to take some."
"A magical bean that heals all wounds? Sign me up."
Tien opened his mouth and Goku dropped half the bean in, bringing the other half back and placing it in his mouth. He got it down easily enough and then watched the bruises, the cuts, and the deep gash all fade away, back into his smooth and healthful skin.
"All right." He said, standing up once again. "What do you say, Jack? We go to the hotel, grab your bag, my power pole, and head up to Korins to see what he's thinkin'."
Gohan thought it sounded simple enough, but could he really risk spending more time with him? The past three years had been some of the best he'd ever lived, but what good would more time together be if he just ended up hurting him again?
He noticed Goku beginning to stare and he quickly hid his feelings and barked out a response. "T-that sounds good Goku."
Goku nodded. "Okay!" He took a deep breath, "Flying Nimbus!"
The cloud manifested from the clouds above the city and lowered to the boy's feet, waiting patiently for its next command.
After saying their goodbyes to Tien, they stopped by the hotel and grabbed their things. Gohan, without even knowing it, had missed having his satchel. It felt like something personal, something that was his to remember all of the adventures he and his father had been on so far. He was happy to sling it over his shoulder once more.
The two journeyed back to Korin's tower, and as soon as they stepped back onto the cobblestone were greeted by the cat. He was a little surprised to see that the two were still together, but he couldn't lie, he felt a little happier for it, even if it meant Gero was still at large.
"Good to see you two." He said, ushering them up the stairs and onto the tower's observation deck. "And boy do I have some good news."
"Really?" Goku asked excitedly.
"Absolutely." He walked near the fountain in the center of the floor and rested his staff against it, placing his two hands behind him as he paced. "You see Goku, far above my tower, there is a temple. In this temple, there lives a guardian; the earth's guardian. He's been up there for over two hundred years silently watching Earth's events unfold and when he saw that you defeated King Piccolo, he contacted me. He wants you to come meet him"
"Really? What for?" Goku asked.
"The dragon balls, Goku. He is the one who created them, and he can help restore them."
"That's amazing!" He said jumping in excitement.
"You're right, it is." Korin glanced at the red pole peaking out from behind Goku's shoulder. "Good, I see you've brought your power pole. You'll need it here shortly."
Goku tilted his head in confusion."What for?"
"Well, on the roof of my tower there is a small hole, that hole was placed there specifically for the power pole. With its ability to stretch infinitely, it makes the perfect tool to reach the guardian."
"Why don't Jack and I take the nimbus? Can't it fly up there?"
"It would make it a good portion of the way up, yes, but it wouldn't be able to make it the whole trip, only the power pole has the endurance to make it all the way up there."
"It must be really high." Goku said. "Let's get going!"
He ran over to the railings on the edge of the tower and used them to climb up onto the roof, leaving Gohan and Korin behind.
"Things didn't work out the way you planned did they kid."
"I almost had him Korin." Gohan said disappointingly. "I could have killed him, but I tried...I really tried to help him. For some reason, I thought that maybe he'd listen to me. I thought that he could see we weren't really enemies but... I couldn't have been more wrong."
"Don't worry about it, you'll have another opportunity, I'm sure of it." He guided Gohan over to the railing and signaled him to climb. "For right now, just focus on getting the dragon balls back."
Gohan pulled himself onto the roof and peaked his head down for a moment. "Thank you, korin...I'll try."
He then stood and carefully walked up the slight incline of the roof. His father had already put the pole into the dome's golden cap and motioned for him to grab on.
"You ready?" He asked.
Gohan tightened his grip "Yeah."
"Powerpole extend!"
The red pole glowed for a moment, before pulling them up off their feet and sending them far above the tower.
The two looked below and saw the earth below them grow more and more distant. Gracefully, they burst through the highest clouds, barely dampening the tops of their gis, and continued deeper into the unending blue sky.
Higher and higher they climbed, and when they looked below them the many continents of the worth were easily visible. They could see the tallest mountains, the lowest valleys, the widest deserts, and all of the world's deepest oceans. Gohan loved the look of amazement in his father's eyes, each one twinkled as he gazed down at the Earth, taking in the absolute beauty of it all. He stayed silent, not wanting to risk ruining this moment like he knew he would. He just wanted him to enjoy it.
He looked above them and he could see the lookout, no more than a thousand feet away. Still, he kept silent and let Goku soak in as much as he wanted to without interruption.
It was a bit of a shock when the pole finally stopped, but Goku was happy they had finally reached their destination. To the left of them, there was a shiny aluminum latter, and both began climbing it, all the way up the side of the lookout's half-sphere bottom.
When the two reached the end of the latter, they climbed up onto the lookout. Surrounded by vibrantly colored plants and tall palm and spruce trees, the palace's three angelic golden domes glowed in the sunlight with warmth and elegance, taking away any tension felt by Goku.
Hunched over and watering the plants, Mr. Popo noticed them and approached with a smile just as warm as the palace.
"Welcome you two, my, my, how far you have come, and in such little time too. Kami will be most impressed with your punctuality."
Goku, with innocent curiosity, approached the genie. "Are you the guardian?"
"No my dear boy, I am not. But if you will follow me I will gladly take you to him." he said, before turning and leading the way.
Goku began trailing him loosely, keeping at the same speed as Gohan. "Thank you! My friend and I really need his help."
The genie led them past the palm trees leading up to the front archway of the palace before stopping and stepping off to the side. The two boys waited patiently. Within the halls of the palace, they could hear slow and gentle footsteps. Surely enough, the footsteps grew louder, and a wrinkled Namekian emerged from the palace's dim entrance.
"Piccolo!" Goku roared before attempting to lunge at the re-emerged demon.
Gohan quickly grabbed him and restricted his arms, but Goku continued struggling.
"Stop, Goku! That's not Piccolo!"
"Huh?" He replied, still reluctant to calm down.
"Relax Son Goku, I may look like that monster, but I can promise you I am not him. My name is Kami, I am the Earth's guardian and the one who invited you here." The look of confusion on Goku's face was palpable. "I take it Korin didn't explain any of this to you?"
Goku shook his head.
"Of course he didn't, that little mischievous cat loves leaving out details." He walked down the few steps that led up to the palace, nearing the two boys. "Well, worry not, because I can explain everything. You see, Piccolo and I are two parts of one whole. He was the evil part of me, which I expelled many years ago and have been paying for ever since. I am truly sorry you had to face him. However, the fact that you beat him alone shows that you have incredible potential."
With a lift of his staff, he turned to Mr. Popo. "Dear friend, could you grab Shenron for me. I forgot him in the study."
"Yes, Kami, of course." Popo replied. Without a hint of hesitation, the genie disappeared and reappeared just as fast. In his arms was a broken stone statue of Shenron, encased within a class cover which removed before handing over to Kami.
"This here is Shenron, the dragon I chose to represent my power when the dragon balls are summoned. Seeing your courage and selflessness earlier today, to not only save your friends, but countless innocents reminded me that there was a reason I created the dragon balls in the first place: To enable the good to correct the errors of the wrong. I would be happy to fix him for you, Goku, and allow you to make a wish in one month's time...On one condition."
"You name it!" Goku said.
"I wish for you to stay here and train with me for the next three years with no extra company."
Goku smiled. "That's it?! That sounds amazing! Jack and I already have everything we need, all we'd need to do is collect the dragon balls and bring everyone back!"
Kami looked over and, with no doubt, Gohan could tell he knew who he was.
"I am sorry Goku, but your friend cannot stay. You must train here alone."
Goku's excitement ceased. "What?" He asked.
"I am sorry but he cannot stay."
Goku, slightly unnerved by the guardian's strange rejection of Gohan, asked, "Why not?"
"Because Piccolo will return in the form of his son. In three years, he will challenge you and in that time my only obligation is to train and prepare you for that fight. Having your friend around will only slow the process."
Goku objected immediately. "No, it won't! He's already much stronger than me! He can help us!"
"I'm sorry Goku." Kami said. "My mind is made up. In order for you to bring back all those lost in Piccolo's attack, you must remain here alone."
"I-I can't!" He replied reluctantly. "Isn't there anything else we could do?"
"I am afraid not."
Gohan frowned, the amount of stress this was causing Goku was enormous, and once again, he was the root of the problem.
"Goku..." he said, prompting his father to turn around. "I-I don't think there's a way out of this."
"But Jack, didn't you hear what he said? I-I'd have to leave you for three years!"
Kami, sensing the importance of the situation took Mr. Popo and left the two to themselves.
"I know, Goku..." He said, tears beginning to form in his eyes. The hesitancy from his father warmed his heart and added to his guilt. "But he's right. I've gotten in your way too many times before. I-I'd just slow you down."
"No Jack! That's not true at all." He said, throwing his arms around Gohan, his own eyes filling with tears. "You've always been helpful."
"No, Goku..."
In his mind he pictured all the times they trained together in the time chamber, his father always had to slow down, always had to wait for him to be ready, only for him to tire out in fifteen minutes. He pictured all the times he'd gotten in his way: In the tournaments, in his search for the dragon balls, in his battle with Tao, everything.
Then he pictured all the times he'd failed him.
The Saiyans
Piccolo
Dende
Frieza
The Androids
Cell
Krillin
Roshi
So many times.
Countless times.
"I've only ever hurt you." he said.
"Jack, please, don't say that!" Goku said, crying. "You've spent so much time with me, more than anybody. You were the one who taught me how to read, how to really read, and how to write, and how to count. I've even picked up some of your fighting style!"
"Those things don't matter Goku. Back at the tournament, when you learned how much I had lied to you, I could see it break your heart, and no matter what, that's all I've ever been able to do. I try and I try to love you, and I try to be honest, but it's never enough. " His voice lowered into a whisper. "You're better off without me."
Goku sniffled and hugged Gohan even tighter. "Jack..."
"That's not even my real name Goku." He paused, expecting a shift in his ki, a newfound sense of betrayal, but there was nothing, just overwhelming sadness. "And there's so much more I've kept from you."
"It's okay, Jack-"
"No, it's not. Goku. There's so much I don't tell you, so much about me." He tried to clear his throat, which ached with every word he spoke. "I don't even age. You get older, but I'm still the same. I'm still the eleven-year-old boy you found three years ago."
"That doesn't matter Jack. Nothing you hide from me could matter because I know the real you. I know you're kind, and caring, and smart, and always good. You're amazing, and you'll always be my family, no matter what."
Gohan, taking every ounce of strength he had left, tore away from his father's embrace, and kept him at a distance with his hands.
Goku looked into Gohan's eyes, they were rich and brown, the same as before, but they looked so much colder, so much more...lifeless.
"If you knew who I was Goku, you'd know you deserve better. You always deserved so much better than me."
Gohan removed his hands from his father's shoulders and Goku fell to his knees.
"Jack?!" he cried, as Gohan turned his back on him.
Gohan continued towards the edge of the lookout, his knees trembling with every step he took.
"Jack! Where are you going?!" he repeated.
Gohan tried to block the sound. He was doing him a service. He was preventing any more pain. He was helping him.
"Jack! Don't go! I-I don't want you to go!"
He finally reached the edge, his tears poured over, onto the Earth beneath him.
"I don't want to say goodbye!" Goku shouted with all the heart he had.
But it wasn't enough.
Gohan jumped.